My Father's House - Live at the Shrine, Los Angeles, CA - 11/16/90

Last night, I dreamed that
I was a child
Out where the pines grow
Wild and tall
I was trying to
Make it home through the forest
Before the darkness falls

I heard the wind rustling
Through the trees
And ghostly voices
Rose from the fields
I ran with my heart pounding
Down that broken path
With the devil snappin' at my heels

I broke through the trees and
There in the night
My father's house stood
Shining hard and bright
The branches and brambles
Tore my clothes and scratched my arms
But I ran 'til I fell shaking in his arms

I awoke and I imagined
The hard things that pulled us apart
Will never again, sir
Tear us from each other's hearts
I got dressed and to that house
I did ride
From out on the road
I could see its windows shining in light

I walked up the steps and
Stood on the porch
A woman I didn't recognize
Came and spoke to me through a chained door
I told her my story
And who I'd come for
She said, "I'm sorry, son but no one by that name
Lives here anymore"

Now my father's house shines
Hard and bright
It stands like a beacon
Calling me in the night
Calling and calling
So cold and alone
Shining 'cross this dark highway
Where our sins lie on atoned